Case Number 17340

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION: THE NINTH SEASON

The Charge

Sin never sleeps.

Opening Statement

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation may not be the most critically
acclaimed crime drama on TV, but the show is smart and inventive enough to
frequently attract a high caliber of actors, directors, and writers. For most of
its run, it's cranked out some episodes that, while not earth-shattering, are
still entertaining and even mildly informative. Unfortunately, all good things
must come to an end and, while this season the show attempted to recover from
some significant departures with new additions, it would probably have been
better off if the series had simply called it quits.

Facts of the Case

Here are the 24 episodes collected on six discs:

Disc One * "For Warrick" As Warrick (Gary
Dourdan, Alien: Resurrection) dies in Gil's (William Petersen, To Live
and Die in L.A.) arms, Gil and his team attempt to find out who killed
him.

* "The Happy Place" A hypnotist (Glenne Headley, Dirty
Rotten Scoundrels) may have used her abilities to compel bank clerks to
embezzle money.

* "Art Imitates Life" New CSI Riley Adams (Lauren Lee Smith,
The L Word) joins the team as they attempt to solve the mystery of a
serial killer who turns his victims into statues.

* "Let It Bleed" The daughter of a Colombian drug kingpin
dies under mysterious circumstances near a nightclub.

Disc Two * "Leave Out All the Rest" Gil seeks
out Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke, The O.C.) for help on a case, but
discovers he has really hit a turning point in his life and career.

* "Say Uncles" A couple is shot during a fair in Koreatown,
and a young boy's life may be in danger.

* "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda" An unsolved murder from the past
involving a missing private detective comes back to haunt the team.

* "Young Man with a Horn" A young contestant from a singing
talent show is found dead near an abandoned casino that was the site of a
legendary murder.

Disc Three * "19 Down..." After investigating a
series of murders that closely resemble those of a serial killer that was
convicted long ago, the team enlists the help of criminology professor Dr.
Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne, Fled).

* "One to Go" Gil decides that the time has come to leave
the CSI lab for good, but convinces Ray to join the staff as a new entry-level
CSI.

* "The Grave Shift" Ray's first day on the job involves a
simple burglary that somehow becomes a bombing and murder.

* "Disarmed and Dangerous" When an FBI agent is found
literally torn to pieces in a restroom, the team uncovers a case that is not
quite what it seems.

Disc Four * "Deep Fried and Minty Fresh" A
chicken restaurant is the scene of a mysterious death, while another case
involves a woman who was apparently killed with an overdose of toothpaste.

* "Miscarriage of Justice" A congressman is on trial for
murder, but Ray's careful investigation may be undermined when the congressman's
assistant confesses in a suicide note.

* "Kill Me If You Can" A con man with multiple identities is
murdered, but may have pulled one final identity switch.

* "Turn, Turn, Turn" Nick (George Eads, Evel Knievel)
discovers the murder of a teenage girl (Taylor Swift) who he has been running
into repeatedly during the last year.

Disc Five * "No Way Out" Ray and Riley are
taken hostage by a teenage gang member after a bloody shooting in a quiet
suburb.

* "Mascara" A serial killer involved with the world of
Mexican wrestling develops a close personal connection with Ray.

* "The Descent of Man" A parachutist falls without a working
parachute, leading to a possible connection with some mysterious deaths
nearby.

* "A Space Oddity" Lab techs Hodges (Wallace Langham, The
Larry Sanders Show and Wendy (Liz Vassey, All My Children) discover
that they're both fans of a classic '60s sci-fi show at a convention, but also
discover that another fan may have committed a murder.

Disc Six * "If I Had a Hammer" A man (Henry
Thomas, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) who was convicted of murder based on
Catherine's (Marg Helgenberger, Species) work demands a retrial after he
claims to uncover new evidence.

* "The Gone Dead Train" A mysterious series of deaths sends
the team looking for a possible infectious disease transmitted through body
modification.

* "Hog Heaven" A biker is stabbed to death during a bar
fight, but the case takes a deadly turn when the team discovers that he was
actually an undercover cop.

* "All In" The relics from a long-demolished casino suddenly
become hot commodities in the collectors' market, leading to a series of murders
involving a famous antique dealer (Gerald McRaney, Simon and Simon).

The Evidence

When a series lasts as long as CSI does, it has one of two options: it
can continue to coast on its fumes and recycle stories and situations, or it can
reinvigorate itself with new characters and stories. CSI, peculiarly, has
chosen both options. This season introduces two new characters, not entirely
successfully, but it also highlights that the show's formula has grown
increasingly stale. There are some good moments here, especially in the
performances, and there are also some welcome experiments with storytelling
techniques that are visually diverting. Nonetheless, it's hard not to shake the
feeling that this show is sadly and painfully becoming a shadow of its former
self.

Of course, this season meant the exit of two major characters who have been
around since the first season: Warrick, murdered at the end of season eight, and
Grissom, who retires ten episodes into this season. Their exits are handled
reasonably well (although the whole Gil/Sara relationship arc long ago wore out
its welcome for many fans), so it's hard to fault the show with these
storylines. The changes also help inject some tension into a series that has
started to grow rather formulaic.

It's the rest of the series that falters. The new characters are a hit and a
miss. On the plus side, Laurence Fishburne makes an appealing replacement for
Petersen. Fishburne has always specialized in characters who are inhumanly cool
under pressure, but while there's some of that in Ray, Fishburne also catches
the right notes of uncertainty in a man who's making an important career change
so late in life. It's also great to see him making minor rookie mistakes and
learning how to adapt to the current team's personalities. These help flesh out
Ray so that his victories become more meaningful than they would if he just came
in as a perfect CSI right off the bat. Riley, on the other hand, doesn't click
at all. The combination of some one-dimensional writing and Smith's dull
performance makes her one of the most forgettable characters this show has ever
seen. She doesn't appear to have any personality or notable distinctions other
than the ability to mouth off inappropriately, a trait that is neither clever
nor endearing. It's no surprise, then, that Smith was released from her contract
only a few weeks after the season ended.

It's also disconcerting to realize that many of the episodes this season are
essentially rewrites of earlier ones. Even if you're just a casual viewer of
CSI reruns on Spike, you'll quickly recognize many episodes here as being
older ones with slightly new modifications. Do you miss the philosophical
ramblings of the blue paint killer? You get the human statue killer and
the one who kills couples. How about another episode where a convicted murderer
demands a new trial after supposedly uncovering new evidence that clears him?
Yep, there's one of those, too. Has it been too long since a CSI was testifying
in a courtroom and was blindsided with new evidence? Fear not-that happens again
here. The original cast members, always likable and talented, do what they can
but you can see places where even they're bored with the endless repetition. The
cast is frequently the only redeeming feature of too many episodes on this set,
but for that, you'd probably be better advised to get the earlier, fresher
seasons, even if you do miss out on Laurence Fishburne.

Paramount has done a mixed job presenting the series on DVD. The
non-anamorphic 16:9 transfer looks vivid and sharp, but why is it
non-anamorphic? It makes no sense to punish the show's fans, especially since a
high-tech show like CSI is precisely the kind that would attract viewers
with high-def TVs. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, on the other hand, is impressive.
Not only is it loud and well-balanced, but the surround effects are so
consistently used that viewers really will feel immersed in each episode.

There's also a healthy smattering of extras. Two episodes come with
commentary tracks, "Turn, Turn, Turn" (with George Eads, Taylor Swift,
and the show's writer) and "Space Oddity" (with some writers and the
actors who play the lab techs, including Langham and Vassey). The first
commentary is dry and no one really talks much, but the second is amusing and
full of great stories and insights into the episode. There are also some deleted
scenes for certain episodes, all of which are worth a look (the one for
"The Happy Place," for instance, actually explains the episode's
title). The best extras are the four featurettes, scattered throughout the set:
"Crime Scene Initiation" (14:43), "Goodbye Grissom" (17:37),
"Rats in Space" (27:18), and "From Zero to 200 in Nine
Seasons" (18:54). "Crime Scene Initiation" discusses the new
characters, "Goodbye Grissom" explains how Petersen and the show's
producers came up with Grissom's exit, "Rats in Space" delves into the
making of "Space Oddity," and "From Zero to 200 in Nine
Seasons" chronicles the making of "Mascaras," the series' 200th
episode that was directed by legendary director William Friedkin (The French
Connection). All are more incisive than the usual EPK fluff, with plenty of
cast and crew interviews. Finally, "The Grave Shift" comes with an
option to view a text information track while watching the episode that gives
various facts about real crime forensics.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

It would be unfair to say that the show doesn't take any artistic chances.
"Space Oddity" is easily the season's best episode precisely because
it strays from the formula the show has fallen into. By using hilarious fantasy
sequences built around a cheesy but earnest '60s sci-fi show that bears a
suspicious resemblance to Star Trek, the show actually does make some
astute observations about sci-fi fandom, as well as the growing relationship
between Hodges and Wendy. Also, some episodes, such as "Turn, Turn,
Turn," "All In," and "Kill Me If You Can," use
intricate jump-cuts and intertwining stories that are visually exciting, even if
the actual mysteries are lukewarm rehashes of earlier ones. At least
technically, CSI hasn't lost any of its effectiveness.

Closing Statement

The addition of Laurence Fishburne is welcome, but not enough to recommend
this season. Even newcomers who are just becoming familiar with CSI
because of Fishburne will find many of these episodes tame and repetitive. Maybe
next season will bring some new inspiration, but if the departure of two crucial
characters and the arrival of two new characters (even if one is already gone)
wasn't enough to shake the show out of its rut, then the odds are not looking
too good for CSI.